Pokémon: Above the Top-Chapter 282: The Truth Behind Kyogre’s Attack

Though Kyogre had been driven off by Palkia, that didn't mean they were safe now.

The ship was heavily damaged. The parts of the hull in contact with the ice were almost completely severed.

Right now, the ship remained afloat only because it was fused with the surrounding ice. But if they broke the ice to escape, the ship would sink.

It was a deadlock.

At this point, even those who had been hiding in the cabins were here. Their lives were now at stake too; there was nowhere left to hide.

But before anything else, the acting leader ordered that all the dead Tamers' bodies be gathered and placed in makeshift boxes for the time being.

Since Makie had helped with the effort, those in charge of collecting the bodies quietly included the painter as well.

If they managed to escape the sea, perhaps he could still be laid to rest.

As Makie walked away holding the ruined painting the painter had left behind, Sato, who had been waiting nearby, immediately followed her.

He had seen it with his own eyes: the tiny pink gemstone fragment had fallen into the painting. Yet now, no matter how closely he looked, it had vanished.

A pink gem appearing at such a moment... and considering how he had been drawn here...

Sato quickly connected the dots in his mind.

A fragment of Palkia's gemstone!

Though he didn't yet know what exactly had happened, the truth was slowly beginning to unfold.

As one of the surviving heroes, Makie naturally received the highest respect aboard the ship.

Since Misdreavus was of no use in repairing the ship, no one ordered her around or restricted her movements.

Makie, still holding the painting, returned quietly to her cabin accompanied by Misdreavus and Smeargle.

She closed the door and slumped helplessly to the floor, clutching the painting in silence. Misdreavus and Smeargle, understanding her mood, didn't interrupt.

More than half an hour passed before Makie's emotions finally settled a bit. She gently removed the bloodstained white cloth, slowly revealing the painting beneath.

"Eh? Why..."

Makie stared blankly at the painting, completely untouched. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was hallucinating again.

Indeed, the painting was completely intact. Not even a drop of blood had marked it.

How was that possible?

Smeargle and Misdreavus gathered around as well. Their eyes were filled with disbelief.

Suddenly, Makie smiled. She gently stroked the painted version of herself on the canvas, as if she could see the painter outlining her figure, stroke by stroke.

"That's fine too."

Makie hung the painting on the wall and simply sat before it, staring quietly.

Half an hour... An hour... A day... Three days...

Aside from Misdreavus reminding Makie to eat and sleep on schedule, her eyes never left the painting.

Meanwhile, the others on the ship did everything they could to repair the ship, racing against the rapidly melting ice.

But from the look of despair on their faces, Sato could tell that finishing the repairs was unlikely.

Then, Sato overheard a rumor that shocked him even more.

The reason Kyogre attacked the ship was to take revenge on the humans who created the Blue Orb. An item capable of controlling it.

And the reason it struck at this specific time was because the creator "god", Arceus, had been attacked by humans and fallen into a deep slumber.

With no one to restrain them, the super-ancient Pokémon that distrusted or hated humans -like Kyogre- began attacking ships. And this wasn't the only one.

Meanwhile, the more human-friendly Palkia had responded to the Dragon Tamer clan's call, coming to help.

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This era was the darkest time for both humans and Pokémon.

Eventually, the more neutral mythical Pokémon could no longer tolerate the endless chaos in the world. They intervened, working together to suppress the conflict on both sides.

Whether the rumor was true or not, Sato couldn't verify. But deep down, he couldn't help but believe it.

---

On the fifth day, the ice began to melt on a large scale. The constant sunshine gave those aboard the ship no time to rest.

Yet in the face of death, humanity showed incredible resilience. The ship repairs were completed ahead of schedule, at an unbelievable pace.

And they hadn't foolishly relied on only one solution.

All Tamers with flying Beast had been sent out, and after a week, a response came from the outside world.

After all, no matter how well the ship was patched, it could only stay afloat; it could no longer sail far.

On the tenth day after the war ended, more than ten of the era's fastest sailing ships arrived on scene.

Their arrival finally marked true rescue for those still trapped.

But just then, Makie vanished.

As one of the war heroes and one of the few female Tamers, she was someone many were keeping an eye on.

So her disappearance immediately caused a stir on board.

The others searched for an entire day, but found nothing. In the end, they had no choice but to send the rest of the people back to land.

Rewinding back to the day the ships arrived, Makie had been overjoyed to hear the news.

Because now, at the very least, she could give her boyfriend a proper burial. And the one remaining painting... she had to take that with her, too.

But just then, something unexpected happened...